This document provides tips for startups on getting the word out about their product. It discusses the importance of funding, having a lawyer, and whether certain things like a business plan, designer, or coding skills are necessary. It outlines the six stages of pitch grief that startups may experience when pitching investors: the email, response, prep, FOMO, cold shoulder, and acceptance. Tips are provided for each stage, such as being nice in the email, responding immediately, knowing the investor, and keeping at it even after rejection. It also notes that bootstrapping is becoming more common than large seed rounds due to VCs getting wiser.

1. #STARTUPADDVENTURE
JOHN BIGGS
TECHCRUNCH
HOW TO GET THE WORD
OUT ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT

3. About Me
• East Coast Editor Of TechCrunch
• Writer (Working On Technotopia jdbny.me/w)
• Entrepreneur (angel.co/freeport-1)
• Often very, very wrong
• Really sleepy
• @johnbiggs or john@biggs.cc

4. What You Have

5. • Funding
• Funding
• Mentorship
• Funding*
What You Need

6. *Probably Also
A Lawyer

7. Do We Have To?
Write a business plan?
Have designer?
Have a tech guy?
Know a little code?

10. Ask Me About The Importance Of Design

11. –Max Gurvits
"Networking Is One Letter Away From Not Working"

13. The 6 Stages Of Pitch Grief
• The Email
• The Response
• The Prep
• The FOMO
• The Cold Shoulder
• Acceptance

14. The Email
• Be nice.
• Write good.
• Know who you’re pitching.
• Ask for advice, not cash.

15. The Response
• Be ready to be sad.
• Respond immediately.
• Make an appointment.

16. The Prep
• Write a dossier on the investor.
• Know them.
• Love them.
• Be them.
• Don’t make it weird.

17. Bonus Tip:
Listen To The
Startup Podcast

18. The FOMO
• Seriously? You got this far? Wow.
• Watch Glengarry Glenn Ross
• “A-I-D-A. Attention, Interest, Decision, Action.
Attention - Do I have you attention? Interest - Are you
interested? I know you are, because it's f*** or walk.
You close or you hit the bricks. Decision - Have you
made your decision, for Christ? And Action. A-I-D-A.”
• In the end, this is a sales call.

20. Acceptance
• Always Be Closing
• Keep at it.
• Build.
• Build more.
• Keep calling.

22. Bonus Stage
Rub it in

26. Seed Bubble?
• Not really… but
• No more huge seeds.
• You need to more with less.
• Bootstrapping is the new seed.
• VCs have gotten wise…

28. Let’s Chat
@johnbiggs or john@biggs.cc